Robert
Kuok Kuok, born on October 6, 1923 is the youngest child of an immigrant from Fujian, China, Kuok Keng Kang. He arrived in Malaysia, then known as Malaya, in 1909 and set-up a trading business on sugar, flour and rice. Kuok and his two brothers studied in British-run schools. Robert went to Raffles College in Singapore. When his studies were cut short when Japan invaded Singapore in 1942, Kuok worked in the grains department of a Japanese company, Mitsubishi and learned the Japanese language. He later rose to become the head of the rice import operation while his father got a license to act as a rice wholesaler. In December 1948, Robert’s father died. Around mid- January 1949, together with his brothers, his mother and other relatives, Robert put-up Kuok Brothers Limited which continued their father’s trading business of agricultural commodities. In the early 50’s, faced with tough competition in the rice market, Kuok switched the company’s focus to another commodity, sugar, which was less competitive at that time. The Kuok brothers began acquiring sugar plantations. In 1957, British colonizers left Malaysia. By 1959, Kuok established a sugar refinery he named the Malayan Sugar Manufacturing Company. In the 70’s, Kuok was dubbed as the Sugar King of Asia after supplying 80% of Malaysia’s sugar market and about 10% of the global export market. Encouraged perhaps by the overwhelming success of his sugar business, Kuok expanded his business into flour milling (Federal Flour Mills), shipping (Malaysia International Shipping Corporation), logistics, oil (palm oil plantations) and gas, and cinemas (Golden Screen Cinemas), the largest film exhibitor in Malaysia. These businesses make up PPB Group (www.ppbgroup.com) , one of Malaysia’s largest companies and one of the biggest conglomerates in the Southeast Asian region. PPB or Perlis Plantation Berhad was established in 1968 as a means of Kuok to share his wealth to the ethnic Malay population when he was already moving his international business empire in Singapore. The establishment of PPB was also Kuok’s response to the call of the Malaysian government to establish a local sugar industry. Thus, PPB eventually acquired the Malayan Sugar Manufacturing Company, the Federal Flour Mills and Shangri-la Malaysia, among several other companies. In 2000, Perlis Plantation Berhad was renamed to PPB Group. PPB Group’s Operations spread over Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia. Outside PPB, Kuok also ventured into mass media. In Hong Kong, he established the Kerry Trading Company. In 1993, he bought the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading English daily in Hong Kong from Rupert Murdoch; Kuok also purchased shares in Television Broadcasts (TVB) which operates the most popular tv channels in Hong Kong and the world’s largest producer of Chinese-language TV programmes. In China, Kuok owns 10 bottling companies of Coca-Cola and the Beijing World Trade Center. Kuok gained international repute when he became the first Asian to build a 5-star luxury hotel chain, the Shangri-La. The Shangri-la Hotels are the most awarded in the hospitality industry reaping awards such as Best Luxury Hotel in China, Best Hotel Brand for Business and Vacation in Asia from leading business magazines. Kuok’s business success can be attributed to his vast network of influential corporate and government people. However, he recognizes the contributions of his former colleagues and employees to the company he and his family founded 60 years ago. He says that his employees’ dedication, integrity, and discipline are the values that brought his company to where it is now. He is also all praises to his mother and the excellent way she has brought him and up and his brothers. When asked what is his secret of successful business leadership, he replied, ”Like Genghis Khan in his best days, you have to share the spoils of victory.” Sources: Kandell, Jonathan. The Private Life of Robert Kuok
(Posted in February 1997). Retrieved on Aug. 3, 2009 from http://www.euromoney.com/Article/1006124/BackIssue/50126/The-private-life-of-Robert-Kuok.html?ID=50126&single=true Corporate website: www.pbbgroup.com  |
Shangri-La hotels are definitely one of the top 5-star hotel chains
in the industry. From the first Shangri-La Hotel that opened in
Singapore in 1971, the chain of Shangri-La hotels has grown to 55
all over Asia, Australia Middle East, Europe and North America.
And every hotel reflects the business style and personal taste of
Robert Kuok, the man behind the Shangri-La empire and Malaysia’s
as well as Southeast Asia’s richest man.